Store-service ladder



s. B. MARTIN.

STORE SERVICE LADDER. APPLICATION FILED APR. 16, I921- 11mm 116, Patented 00%.117 1922.

m @azmze! MZZ ZZ SAMUEL B. MARTIN, or DALTON, onro.

STORE-SERVICE LADDER.

Application filed. April 16, 1921. Serial No. 461,853.

T 0 aZZ 'w hom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL B. MARTI a citizen of the United States, residing at Dalton, in the county of Wayne and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Store-Service Ladder, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to store service ladders such as are employed for movement along shelving to enable clerks to conveniently reach the goods upon the higher shelves.

The objects of the present invention are to provide a device of this character comprising a double ladder which may be employed by two persons at the same time, platforms being provided at the upper and lower ends of the ladders which may be utilized to transport goods from one place to another along the shelving, other objects being to provide a ladder of this character arranged to be supported at its lower end upon a track, the upper end thereof having an anti-friction roller arranged to engage a guide rail, a brake mechanism being provided and arranged to engage with the guide rail when desired; other objects being the provision of a novel constructionof step upon the ladder.

Vith these objects in View, the invention consist-s in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, it being understood that changes in the form and details of construction may be made without departing from the appended claims.

The invention thus set forth in general terms is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in the accompanying drawing in which,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a ladder embodying the invention;

Fig. 2, an end elevation of the same;

Fig. 3, a section on the line 3-3, Fig. 2 upon a larger scale; and

Fig. 4, a section on the line t4;, Fig. 3.

The device preferably comprises two ladders represented respectively at 1 and 2, spaced apart and inclined toward each other at their upper ends, the. lower ends thereof being connected to the platform 3 as by the angle irons 4 and the upper ends being connected to the platform 5 as by the angle irons 6.

Each step is preferably formed of two similar boards 7 connected together by means of the pins 8 provided near each end of the step and extending into the side rails 9, a pin 10 beingconnected to the side rail beneath each pin 9 and extending outwardly at an angle thereto, the outer end thereof being turned up as shown at 11 and proected into the outer board of the step. A staple 12 is provided in each end portion of one of the boards 7 for the purpose of spacmg said boards slightly apart, and for the purpose of providing a guard rail a rod or wire 13 is connected to the upper and lower platforms at each side of each of the ladders and extended between the members 7 of each step, preferably passing through said staples. For the purpose of strengthening the step structure, an angle plate 7 has one angle thereof located between the boards 7 and receiving the pin 8, the other angle thereof extending beneath the outer board 7, the upturned. end 11 of the pin 10 passing through a suitable aperture therein, thus tending to brace the step structure.

The ladders 1 and 2 are preferably braced intermediate their extremities by the stays 1 1 which connect the ladders together upon opposite sides of the structure, these stays being preferably formed of wood of the samecross sectional size as the side rails 9 and the step boards 7, and connected to the side rails by means of the bolts 15.

The lower platform 3 is mounted upon a truck comprising the beam 16, which is pro-, vided at each end with a bracket 17, flanged rollers 18 being journaled in said brackets and mounted upon the rail 19 which is supported upon the floor in any suitable and well known manner.

It should be noted that this truck upon which the ladders are mounted, is located near the outer edge of the platform 3, thus placing the wheels considerably beyond the longitudinal center of the ladders, tending to throw the upper end of the ladders normally inward toward the shelving along which the device is mounted.

A bar 20 extends transversely across the under surface of the upper platform 5, at the center thereof and projects inwardly beyond the inner edge of said platform, a depending U-shaped bolt 21 being carried by said bar and having the roller 22 journaled thereon, said roller engaging the rail 23.

As the wheels 18 are mounted outwardly, beyond the longitudinal center of the lad ders, it will be seen that the weight of the ladder causes the roller 22 to normally engage the adjacent edge of the rail 23. When the operator desires to stop the ladder at any point along the shelving, itis only necessary for him to throw his weight outwardly beyond the wheels 18, tilting the ladder slightly outward and bringing the finger 25 into frictional engagement with the adjacent edge of the rail 23, frictionally holding the ladder against movement.

The rail 23 is carried upon the arms 26 which are adj ustably connected to the brackets 27 by means of the adjusting bolts 28, said brackets being fixed to any suitable portion of the wall adjacent to the shelving. The rail 23 is preferably turned upon its longitudinal axis as shown in Fig. 2, presenting one longitudinal corner to the anti-friction roller for the purpose of reducing the friction between the roller and rail.

It will thus be evident that with a ladder constructed as above described, two persons may use the ladder at the same time, one standing upon each of the ladder members and in this manner two clerks may use the ladder to obtain goods from adjacent portions of the shelving, or a customer may stand upon one of the ladder members while the clerk uses the other ladder member and goods may be removed from the shelving and dis olayed upon the platforms 3 or 5.

he platforms 3 and 5 are an essential and useful part of the invention, as they afford a convenient means for transporting goods from one portion of the store to another or for temporarily storing the goods preparatory to placing them upon the shelving.

1 claim 1. A store service ladder of the character described including side members connected at intervals by transverse steps, each step consisting of two spaced boards upon the same side of the side members, angle plates having upturned ends extending between the boards for the purpose of spacing the boards and outturned ends extending beneath the outer board, a horizontal pin extending through each end of the boards and through the upturned ends of the angles plates and into the side members.

2. A store service ladder of the character described including side members connected at intervals by transverse steps, each step consisting of two spacedboards, angle plates having upturned ends extending between the boards and outturned ends extending beneath the outer board,a horizontal pin extending through each end of the boards and through the upturned ends of the angle plates and into the side members, and an inclined pin connected to the side member beneath each horizontal pin and having its outer end turned up and extended through the outturned end of the adjacent angle plate and into the outer board of each step.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

sAuUEL B. MARTIN. 

